Pre-cruise hotels in London (Greenwich)/ transfer to port

[midwestchick]

Flying into London one day early and am looking for a hotel.  Not sure what our plans will be once we get there so also looking for suggestions to things easily accessible to hotel.  I’d like to be close enough to the port to make transfer easy and also, what is the best way to get to port?  All suggestions welcome. 

[geoherb]

Your cruise is leaving from Greenwich? If so, I'd stay near there and enjoy the Royal Observatory, National Maritime Museum, and Greenwich Market. There are a few hotels within a half mile of the pier (Novotel and Ibis, for instance). 

 

Of course my recommendation is to fly in several days beforehand. If you're doing an overnight flight, the first day never gives you time to do much.

[Bob++]

Wherever you stay, I suggest that you use a taxi to join the ship. Either use Uber or Mytaxi or get your hotel to arrange one the evening before.

 

Getting from Heathrow to Greenwich is not straightforward by public transport, so a prebooked taxi would be your best bet there too. Cost; around £50 and it takes about 1½ hours, whether you go round the M25 (boring), or through the city centre. 

 

Edited January 15, 2019 by Bob++

[Capt_BJ]

Did this last July

 

flew to Gatwick and took express train to Victoria Station.

 

using a 'travel site' had a room in a small hotel a few blocks walk (rolling bags) from Victoria for 2 nites allowing us a little time to see some of London. Room included breakfast ....

{p.s. our direct flight Orlando to Gatwick arrived EARLY and we got to our hotel at breakfast time. They kindly held our bags until checkin time in the afternoon and we had a full day to explore, and a second}

 

On boarding day took a taxi to Greenwich.  Our Viking Ocean cruise spent the first night and a full day in Greenwich  not getting underway until 9pm so we had PLENTY of time to explore the Greenwich area too ...

 

second pic is Viking Sky moored in the Thames taken from deck of Cutty Sark

 

 

Edited January 15, 2019 by Capt_BJ

[midwestchick]

17 hours ago, geoherb said:

Your cruise is leaving from Greenwich? If so, I'd stay near there and enjoy the Royal Observatory, National Maritime Museum, and Greenwich Market. There are a few hotels within a half mile of the pier (Novotel and Ibis, for instance). 

 

Of course my recommendation is to fly in several days beforehand. If you're doing an overnight flight, the first day never gives you time to do much.

We will overnight in Greenwich when we board the ship.  That time of the year we do have some time restraints. Thanks for the recommendations.

[midwestchick]

10 hours ago, Bob++ said:

Wherever you stay, I suggest that you use a taxi to join the ship. Either use Uber or Mytaxi or get your hotel to arrange one the evening before.

 

Getting from Heathrow to Greenwich is not straightforward by public transport, so a prebooked taxi would be your best bet there too. Cost; around £50 and it takes about 1½ hours, whether you go round the M25 (boring), or through the city centre. 

 

Thank you.  I didn’t think I could use the euro in London.  Can I ask to be taken through the City Centre?

[midwestchick]

5 hours ago, Capt_BJ said:

Did this last July

 

flew to Gatwick and took express train to Victoria Station.

 

using a 'travel site' had a room in a small hotel a few blocks walk (rolling bags) from Victoria for 2 nites allowing us a little time to see some of London. Room included breakfast ....

{p.s. our direct flight Orlando to Gatwick arrived EARLY and we got to our hotel at breakfast time. They kindly held our bags until checkin time in the afternoon and we had a full day to explore, and a second}

 

On boarding day took a taxi to Greenwich.  Our Viking Ocean cruise spent the first night and a full day in Greenwich  not getting underway until 9pm so we had PLENTY of time to explore the Greenwich area too ...

 

second pic is Viking Sky moored in the Thames taken from deck of Cutty Sark

 

 

Great pictures.  Thank you. We’re flying into Heathrow.

[Bob++]

1 hour ago, midwestchick said:

Thank you.  I didn’t think I could use the euro in London.  Can I ask to be taken through the City Centre?

You can't use Euros in London.

[Capt_BJ]

1 hour ago, midwestchick said:

Great pictures.  Thank you. We’re flying into Heathrow.

yes but the result is the same

 

you can take an express train to Victoria just the same as we did ...

 

https://www.heathrow.com/transport-and-directions/trains

 

15 min ride .... 

 

 

[midwestchick]

17 minutes ago, Bob++ said:

You can't use Euros in London.

 

I thought you said taxi is €50.  That’s why I asked.  Do you know if taxis take credit card?  I was hoping I wouldn’t have to get anything but Rubles.  I have Euros left from our last trip.

[gnome12]

2 hours ago, midwestchick said:

 

I thought you said taxi is €50.  That’s why I asked.  Do you know if taxis take credit card?  I was hoping I wouldn’t have to get anything but Rubles.  I have Euros left from our last trip.

It was £50 (i.e. 50 British pounds).

[midwestchick]

5 minutes ago, gnome12 said:

It was £50 (i.e. 50 British pounds).

 

Thanks.  My mistake.  Do you know if they take credit cards?

[markeb]

1 hour ago, midwestchick said:

 

Thanks.  My mistake.  Do you know if they take credit cards?

 

My experience is most Black Cabs (maybe all? Bob++?) take cards. Minicabs generally will take cards if you pay when you book, but likely cash if not. "Prebook" can be pretty close to departure. On our last trip we ordered a minicab in the arrivals lounge, and had a pickup in probably 45 minutes. (Minicab is basically shorthand for a prebooked car service.)

 

I'd definitely look at prebooking. On the meter from Heathrow to London can be expensive...

Edited January 16, 2019 by markeb

[midwestchick]

55 minutes ago, markeb said:

 

My experience is most Black Cabs (maybe all? Bob++?) take cards. Minicabs generally will take cards if you pay when you book, but likely cash if not. "Prebook" can be pretty close to departure. On our last trip we ordered a minicab in the arrivals lounge, and had a pickup in probably 45 minutes. (Minicab is basically shorthand for a prebooked car service.)

 

I'd definitely look at prebooking. On the meter from Heathrow to London can be expensive...

 

50 British pounds?  I don’t want to hassle with train with two large suitcases and two carry on bags.  I will try and prebook a taxi as the time gets closer.  

Thanks for the info on what a Minicab is.  I would imagine all cabs would hold two 28” bags and carry on bags could go on the inside if there’s no trunk room.

[Bob++]

"Minicab" is a hangover from the 60s when they were actually small cars. These days the Toyota Avensis is typical. The important difference between 'minicabs' and 'licensed taxis' is that the former have to be pre-booked, while the latter can be hailed on the street (in London licensed taxis have to obey all sorts of restrictions and the drivers take the fiendishly difficult "knowledge" test). Uber, Mytaxi and their ilk get around the prebooking rule by making you use your phone to get one.

 

The other difference is the cost: For Heathrow to Greenwich, this site https://www.taxifarefinder.com says a licensed cab that you pick up on the rank at LHR will cost around £250. https://www.uber.com says around £50. 

[Globaliser]

On 1/16/2019 at 10:32 AM, Bob++ said:

The other difference is the cost: For Heathrow to Greenwich, this site https://www.taxifarefinder.com says a licensed cab that you pick up on the rank at LHR will cost around £250.

 

😄

 

It would be more like £100 (which is actually the result I got from that site).

 

All black cabs are now required to take credit cards. Most of them do, and those that tell you that their credit card machine isn't working often find that the threat of going unpaid works a technical miracle on the machine.